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Microsoft Project Server vs Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management vs Smartsheet comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
5.1
Microsoft Project Server offers positive ROI, varying by organization type, with benefits of time savings and improved reporting.
Sentiment score
5.3
Oracle Primavera enhances project efficiency with 30% cost reduction, timely delivery, and effective resource management for large projects.
Sentiment score
6.9
Smartsheet enhances productivity and collaboration, automates processes, manages timelines, and is cost-effective compared to Microsoft Project alternatives.
Microsoft Project provides significant return on investment through time savings, enhanced visibility, real-time reporting, and risk mitigation for projects.
Project Manager at Digital Research Alliance of Canada
Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management has had a measurable return on investment in that a project can be completed on schedule or sooner while using it.
Senior Software Engineer at Well
I have indeed seen a return on investment with Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management, as it has helped us identify delays and focus more energy on the projects where those delays are coming from, enhancing our project management capabilities and allowing us to deliver our projects on time.
Human Resources Manager at Target
Compared to Microsoft Project, which is more expensive, we save costs using Smartsheet.
Project Manager at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
4.4
Microsoft Project Server support is decent but inconsistent; users rely on external resources and partners for comprehensive assistance.
Sentiment score
5.1
Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management's customer support is praised for its responsiveness and expertise, though resolution times can vary.
Sentiment score
6.8
Smartsheet's customer service feedback is mixed, with praise for responsiveness and resources but concerns over response delays and ticket management.
It's challenging to navigate, often making it necessary to search for solutions externally.
Project Manager at Digital Research Alliance of Canada
Their support tends to decline when not supporting cloud solutions.
Managing Director at Knights Innovation Support Centre
Communication with two people, one was knowledgeable while the other was learning.
Independent Business Consultant at Freelance
Whatever integrations we required at the time were well-handled.
Chief Executive at a energy/utilities company with 1-10 employees
I would rate the customer support of Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management a nine.
Associate Technology Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
They are very active, responsive, and solution-oriented.
Human Resources Manager at Target
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.5
Microsoft Project Server is scalable for large projects, though performance may vary based on version and infrastructure costs.
Sentiment score
6.4
Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management is scalable, adaptable for various project sizes but may require database configuration for large datasets.
Sentiment score
7.4
Smartsheet is praised for scalability, integration features, and cost-effectiveness, with some concerns over task tracking in larger projects.
The desktop version does not have scalability.
Independent Business Consultant at Freelance
Microsoft Project Server is fully scalable and is widely used in many industries.
Project Manager at Marvell Technology Group
Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management is very scalable, can work with any size of projects, making it a widely adaptable tool for any organization looking to manage their projects effectively and deliver them on time to their clients.
Human Resources Manager at Target
Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management's scalability for my organization is highly scalable, with no downtime noticed.
Senior Software Engineer at Well
Primavera is very scalable.
Senior Consultant at Aurecon
Smartsheet is pretty flexible and scalable.
Project Manager at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.1
Microsoft Project Server is stable and robust, with minor delays, improved in newer versions, especially the cloud version.
Sentiment score
7.7
Users perceive Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management as stable and reliable, frequently rating it highly for its consistent performance.
Sentiment score
7.9
Users find Smartsheet stable, with minor issues, high reliability ratings, and minimal disruptions enhancing overall satisfaction.
I have never had to reach out to their support because the product works as expected.
Project Manager at Digital Research Alliance of Canada
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Project Server requires better integration, customization, user-friendliness, cloud functionality, and agile methodologies to compete with alternatives.
Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management struggles with integration, user interface, cost management, and support, making it cumbersome for flexible use.
Users want better data management, UI, integration, security, support, and Excel-like features in Smartsheet.
Exporting data from Microsoft Project, especially Gantt charts, is overly complex and not user-friendly.
Project Manager at Digital Research Alliance of Canada
The lack of collaboration capabilities on the desktop version, unlike the cloud version, is a limitation.
Independent Business Consultant at Freelance
Microsoft has become increasingly expensive, and there seems to be a push towards cloud solutions which can be challenging for some.
Managing Director at Knights Innovation Support Centre
There is scope for development in integrating with some AI products.
Senior Consultant at Aurecon
There is a need for improvement in the interfacing and possibly better integration with other programs.
Chief Executive at a energy/utilities company with 1-10 employees
Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management does not require many improvements, but one area lacking is the incorporation of chat and artificial intelligence, which need significant improvement.
Associate Technology Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
I have a novice understanding of Smartsheet, so I sought a solution more suited to repeatable projects and process-oriented governance.
Strategic Programs Vice President, Project Management Office at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Project Server offers flexible pricing, with on-premise and cloud options, potentially costing enterprises $120,000 to $150,000 annually.
Oracle Primavera's high pricing includes significant upfront and annual costs, challenging for budgets but viable for various organizations.
Smartsheet pricing is user-based, varies by plan, and advanced features can increase costs compared to competitors like Microsoft Project.
Microsoft Project Server is on the expensive side due to high licensing costs.
Project Manager at Marvell Technology Group
Microsoft's products are expensive for individuals.
Independent Business Consultant at Freelance
Considering the infrastructure commitments to SharePoint and SQL, the implementation costs are low if already set up.
Managing Director at Knights Innovation Support Centre
Primavera appears to be more expensive than Microsoft Project but potentially less than Maximo.
Chief Executive at a energy/utilities company with 1-10 employees
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing indicates that the price is a bit costlier compared to other alternatives.
Senior Software Engineer at Well
The cost is very cost-effective compared to other alternatives.
Human Resources Manager at Target
Licensing might be cheaper per user.
Project Manager at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Project Server streamlines complex project management with resource allocation, integration, and robust tools for efficient collaboration and scheduling.
Oracle Primavera excels with intuitive dashboards, efficient multisite project management, and real-time insights through seamless integration and mobile support.
Smartsheet offers real-time collaboration, customizable dashboards, automation, and integration, making it ideal for efficient project management.
The Gantt chart is also a very powerful tool for a visual presentation of sequences, critical paths, and execution processes, which simplifies comprehension for users.
Project Manager at Digital Research Alliance of Canada
This setup allows for comprehensive reporting and management across multiple projects and portfolios.
Managing Director at Knights Innovation Support Centre
The dashboards are amazing for data crunching and provide a project focus with upcoming predictions, including burn-up and burn-down charts.
Project Manager at Marvell Technology Group
All of this information can be viewed in a graphical representation, showing the project status, where we are in the timeline, how much percentage has been completed, and all relevant details in a single dashboard.
Associate Technology Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
The embedded analytics and data visualizations in Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management specifically help us make data-driven decisions from the accurate insights gathered from different sources.
Senior Software Engineer at Well
I find myself relying on the project oversight tools the most in my day-to-day work, which helps enable our stakeholders to make informed decisions based on real data while ensuring timely delivery and efficient resource allocation.
Human Resources Manager at Target
Automation helps by simplifying some manual work, saving time and facilitating communication.
Project Manager at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
We were looking for a tool that allowed for repeatable projects and process-oriented governance.
Strategic Programs Vice President, Project Management Office at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees
What I appreciate best about Smartsheet is the straight Gantt chart and its flexibility.
Solution Architect at Think People
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Project Portfolio Management category, the mindshare of Microsoft Project Server is 3.9%, down from 6.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management is 4.2%, down from 4.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Smartsheet is 6.2%, down from 8.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Project Portfolio Management Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Smartsheet6.2%
Microsoft Project Server3.9%
Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management4.2%
Other85.7%
Project Portfolio Management
 

Featured Reviews

Ipsita Seth - PeerSpot reviewer
Project Manager at Marvell Technology Group
Enables effective workload monitoring and data insights with powerful features
Microsoft Project Server is quite a powerful tool and offers a good way of seeing dependencies and interactions, along with baselines. The resource management feature allows us to monitor workload and resource load effectively. Additionally, the dashboards are amazing for data crunching and provide a project focus with upcoming predictions, including burn-up and burn-down charts.
Cynnie Ruminjo - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Software Engineer at Well
Project teams have improved collaboration and have delivered complex portfolios on time
The best features Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management offers include a great user experience, as Oracle has invested heavily in user experience. The application is intuitive and user-friendly, and it also includes project budgeting, cost capitalization, expenses, embedded analytics, and data visualizations that come built-in with the software. The embedded analytics and data visualizations in Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management specifically help us make data-driven decisions from the accurate insights gathered from different sources. Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management has positively impacted my organization by increasing predictability. It has brought awareness to the executive level with the ability to integrate with other systems, which is flawless and seamless, thus enhancing collaboration in my organization. We have been able to deliver projects on time to our clients, meeting the deadlines and timelines while also hitting the cost timelines. The use of Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management has increased the odds of timely project delivery through efficient tracking. The software supports mobile and tablets with a modern user interface featuring embedded analytics, enabling project team members to access all their tools and information in our organization. The efficiency of project managers has increased, allowing them to manage multiple projects and thereby lowering the cost by approximately thirty percent.
DS
Project Manager at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Automation simplifies manual tasks and facilitates team communication
There are many useful features in Smartsheet. One can easily share plans with the entire team, and it functions similarly to Microsoft Project. Creating dependencies across all tasks is smooth, and team members can make adjustments if necessary. Automation helps by simplifying some manual work, saving time and facilitating communication.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
11%
Marketing Services Firm
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
Construction Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Energy/Utilities Company
9%
Construction Company
8%
Healthcare Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
14%
Healthcare Company
9%
Government
8%
University
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business25
Midsize Enterprise12
Large Enterprise33
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise8
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise22
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft Project Server?
The ability to track a project's progress using Microsoft Project Server is the most valuable aspect. It depends, esp...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Project Server?
The pricing for Microsoft Project Server is standard, around $200-$250, but I think it's actually $80 to $100 per yea...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Project Server?
In order to improve Microsoft Project Server, collaborative features could be enhanced, as it is possible to improve ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management?
My experience with pricing, setup costs, and licensing for Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management has been very positi...
What needs improvement with Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management?
Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management does not require many improvements, but one area lacking is the incorporation o...
What is your primary use case for Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management?
Oracle Primavera Portfolio Management is used primarily for project timeline management and resource management. I am...
Has anyone moved from Microsoft Project to Smartsheet? How has your experience been with Smartsheet?
Hi @Eire Zimmermann, I helped an organization evaluate both MS-Project and Smartsheet when they were conducting thei...
What do you like most about Smartsheet?
The tool creates shareable dashboards. These dashboards allow us to display project deliverables' status, their posit...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Smartsheet?
Licensing might be cheaper per user. I rate it as seven or eight due to its demanding nature. For personal use, I hav...
 

Also Known As

MS Project Server
Primavera Portfolio Management, OPPM
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Magnachip, Gwinnett County Schools, CLEAResult, Medbit Oy, Intelbras S.A., ETS, CORE Construction, Keller Foundations
Yarra Valley Water, John Wayne Airport, Hatch Mott Macdonald, Austrian Power Grid AG, EDF France, Chiyoda Corporation, Croatian Waters, Selex ES, Chicago Park District
Sony Music, ESPN, Hilton, Unisource, Colliers, Extreme Networks, Groupon, Netflix
Find out what your peers are saying about Planisware, Broadcom, monday.com and others in Project Portfolio Management. Updated: March 2026.
885,667 professionals have used our research since 2012.